


Beneath the Waves

by stardxst



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: A good chunk of angst but not too heavy, Alternate Universe - Merpeople, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Dreams, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gay Riku (Kingdom Hearts), M/M, Misunderstandings, Mutual Pining, Riku In Love (Kingdom Hearts), Riku Is Bad at Feelings (Kingdom Hearts), Riku Loves Sora (Kingdom Hearts), Sora Loves Riku (Kingdom Hearts), just some soft boys obliviously in love, sea salt trio is there briefly bc I said so
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-27
Updated: 2020-06-10
Packaged: 2021-03-03 03:27:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,141
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24238045
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stardxst/pseuds/stardxst
Summary: No one listened to Sora when he told them that someone with silver hair saved him that day. They told him he dreamed up his own fantasy and that no one on the island had ever silver hair and turquoise eyes.And they definitely didn’t listen when he said it must have been a mermaid that saved him.~A self-indulgent SoRiku fic where an old memory resurfaces in Sora's dreams and takes him all the way to the sea.
Relationships: Riku/Sora (Kingdom Hearts)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 23





	1. Prologue

_ Even beneath the waves, all I can think about is you. _

He didn’t know what to do. His chest felt like it was about to burst with each second that passed, his vision blurring the shades of blue. He desperately clawed at the water desperately, kicking his legs with as much energy he could.

But as Sora struggled within the current, the crude shape of his boat started to grow smaller and smaller. His movements grew more sluggish, arms and legs slowing to fall to the mercy of the ocean. His eyesight started to darken, the sunlight gleaming through the water slowly fading to nothing but darkness.

_ Beyond the reef, is that where I can find you? _

The cold, bitter feeling of the ocean had vanished and was replaced by the warm, familiar sand. The gleaming sun blinded him when he opened his eyes, wincing at the sudden brightness. He rubbed at his eyes and glanced around himself, the comforting sight of the Destiny Islands shore surrounding him. 

Except, there was one thing that was out of place. A blurry mass of silver looked as if it was sitting next to him, turquoise eyes peering back at him. As he reached his arm towards it, his hand met cold skin, reminiscent of the chilly waves. Sora felt the figure flinch and draw back with a sharp hiss, disappearing from view with a splash.

_ Could you love someone who lies underneath the sea? _


	2. Found

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sora tries to stop thinking about a reoccurring dream that has occupied his mind and uncovers something of his past that ends up leading to him finding something that he didn't expect.

“Sora!” Kairi waved her hands in front of his face, “C’mon, everyone’s waiting!” He blinked owlishly before snapping out of his dazed stupor with a light shake of his head. The dream from last night muddled his thoughts, to the point where he had forgotten Kairi was there and started to drift behind her.

He put his arms behind his head and gave her a sheepish smile, “Sorry!” She stared at his dopey smile for a bit longer before sighing,

“I guess you wouldn’t be you if you didn’t space out from time to time.” She grinned with a shake of her head. “Now c’mon!” she urged, grabbing his arm and pulling him towards the island’s center.

The center was bustling with people and the air was peppered with shouts from the merchants advertising their latest catch or find. The energy was loud but comforting to Sora, like the feeling of the warm sun on his face.

“There you guys are!” 

A tall figure waved the pair over, a shorter pair beside him. As they got closer they saw his cocky grin, “Thought you two ditched us to suck faces or something.” he teased, Sora blushing at his forward comment.

“Lay off, Axe!” Kairi rolled her eyes playfully, “Sora was totally zoned out on the way over here.”

Summer break had just started and that meant people were flocking to the islands to take in the white, sandy beaches, crystal clear water, and tropical atmosphere. For Sora and his friends, it meant freedom from school and finally some time to relax.

“Same as always, huh?” Xion giggled softly while Roxas replied in a teasing tone, “Remember that time he spaced out on the track field and almost got bulldozed by Rai?” 

“That was one time!” Sora whined back as he playfully pushed Roxas before laughing along with everyone.

Axel ruffled his hair, “Sure, kid. Now let’s hit the beach!”

***

Sora mindlessly scrolled through his phone, grinning when he saw pictures from today’s outing that Kairi had posted. His head nodded along to the beat of soft music that poured from his headphones, lost in his own little world.

“Sora? Did you clean your room yet?” His mom called out through the closed door expectantly. He glanced around, wrinkling his nose when he saw the mess.

“No, I’ll do it now!” he shouted back, tossing his phone onto the bed and stretching his arms above his head with a groan. He grimaced as he took a good look at the room, the floor was strewn with dirty clothes and other random items that had been carelessly tossed on the floor. His desk was covered in stacks of notes from finals week and his closet was in such a disarray it looked like a storm had rushed through it. He took a deep breath and began putting things where they properly belonged, slowly clearing out the mess. 

He made quick work of the task—luckily it hadn’t been as bad as it seemed. All that was left was his bookshelf which was in dire need of a good dusting. As he shelved his textbooks he noticed a worn out book that was pressed up against the side of his bookshelf. From where Sora would normally sit at his desk the book was obscured by the wood, it was no wonder he had never noticed it before.

He raised an eyebrow curiously, carefully pulling it out from its tight confines. The word ‘secret’ was scribbled hastily on the cover, covering a large portion of it. The journal clearly had some age to it, the pages slightly tattered and covered in small water stains. His eyes skimmed the messy print, the handwriting all too familiar to him.

_Day 1:_

_Hi!!! I know that scientists usually write stuff down so I’m going to do that! Yesterday, I went out on my boat and fell out of it but someone saved me! They looked kinda weird though, they had gray hair and blue-ish green eyes. Kind of like an old person! (I probably shouldn’t call them that though, Mom says it's rude). I told Kairi and she says she thinks it’s a mermaid! We’re going to the pier tomorrow to go see if we can find them. Maybe we can be friends!_

_Day 2:_

_Hi! I checked the pier and there wasn’t anyone there. Kairi says she can’t wait to meet the mermaid because she wants to talk about girl stuff with them. Whatever that means. I wonder how cool it’d be to be friends with a mermaid? Maybe they can take us to visit seahorses!_

_Day 13:_

_Hi again! Nothing new today, but Kairi thinks I’m going crazy. She says that if a real mermaid saved me I would’ve seen them again by now because a mermaid would only save someone they liked and if they liked me they would come be my friend. I hope she isn’t right... Oh! The sea was really pretty though! And mom says the paopu tree is going to bloom soon! Kairi says we should share one one day._

_Day 26:_

_Mom found out that I’ve been sneaking out of the house every morning. I don’t think I’ll be able to look for them anymore but I’ll try to look when I can!_

Sora’s eyes widened the more he read, the memories resurfacing. He leaned back in his chair, his mouth slightly agape in awe.

‘So… it wasn’t just a dream?’ he said to himself in a low whisper, eyes staring down at the journal. He glanced out of his window, out towards the open ocean that rocked against the shore. ‘Is there really something out there?’

“Sora!” His mother called, breaking him away from his thoughts, “Dinner’s ready!” He shook his head, trying to brush the notion out of his head.

But it didn’t leave. Not when he set the dishes on the table, not when his mother called his name over five times, and certainly not as he laid in bed trying to fall asleep. Whenever he closed his eyes he could almost envision the memory— the shore, the waves, the island— but the figure who saved him was still a blur. 

Thunder rumbled lowly in the distance outside his window, the wind picking up and drifting like the questions roaming around in his mind. The light sound of rain started to patter against his window as he slowly drifted off to sleep, his mind awake with dreams of his mysterious saviour.

***

“Not again…” Sora murmured underneath his breath as he woke up the next morning with an obnoxious headache, a remnant of the storm that passed through overnight. Sunlight had just started to filter in through the windows as he sat up and glanced at his nightstand, grimacing when he saw the time. He leaned back to fall against his pillows, blowing his bangs out of his eyes as he stared up at the ceiling.

Sleep didn’t seem to be coming anytime soon— not with that dream clouding his mind— and so he climbed out of bed, swapping his slippers for some running shoes with a yawn. 

‘Might as well get a run in, I guess.’ he thought, stretching his arms above him after quietly closing his bedroom door. He let out a sigh of relief as he tiptoed past his family’s rooms, all of them fast asleep.

After he slipped out of the house, he started to head down the path towards the main beach, streetlamps shutting off as he ran past. As he arrived, he grimaced at the amount of people strolling the seaside. 

He held back a groan as he started to run towards the main beach, until the path that led to the back of the island caught his eye. Glancing back towards the main beach he thought to himself, ‘Maybe the back road today?’

Following the tree-lined path, he found his way to the other side of the island, completely empty. Driftwood from the storm decorated the sand as Sora jogged along the beach, music from his headphones drowning out the sound of the waves crashing against the shore

After about 30 minutes or so of running, he decided to take a quick break and sat in the sand, letting his headphones slip off and onto his neck.

He dug his heels into the sand and leaned back, blowing his bangs out of his face with a sigh. As he closed his eyes, he let the sound of the sea fill his senses, the tension in his shoulders leaving.

Suddenly, he heard a pained growl and the sound of sand shuffling. His head immediately snapped over to look where the old boats were kept, the sound growing louder as he warily inched towards it.

Sora could hear the growls turn into whimpers and whines, the struggling starting to die down. Concern started to bubble up in his chest as he rushed over, moving the boat aside.

“Hey are you oka—!” Sora’s question died in his throat at the sight.

Hidden between the rotting, wooden boats was long, silver hair that immediately caught Sora’s eye.

“Oh, no!” he yelled, running towards the collapsed figure, turning them from their side and onto their back. He brushed their hair away from their face, and scanned their face, his breath getting caught in his throat.

Sora blinked his eyes owlishly at the sight of the attractive— and shirtless— man. He felt his cheeks burning bright red as he struggled to form words.

As he tried to stammer out a greeting, the unusual man’s eyes snapped open, the striking sea-green irises all too familiar to Sora. As their gazes locked the man hissed sharply, baring his teeth towards Sora. The latter immediately drew back, stepping away and putting his hands out defensively,

“Hey, wait—!”

And then he saw it.

Waves rushed on and off the shining, indigo tail, which was tangled tightly in a net.

“Wha— What?!” he cried out in alarm realizing that this man was not what he thought, “Y-you’re a mermaid!”

The merman growled and narrowed his eyes dangerously. Sora stumbled backwards uneasily, before remembering the net that was caught around the merman’s tail. As he tried to go and help, the merman lashed his tail at him, sending a spray of sand and water straight towards Sora’s face.

“Hey—!” Sora shouted, turning his face away and lifting his arm to shield himself, “Please, I just want to help!” He slowly inched forwards, “I don’t want to hurt you…” He crouched into the sand and reached for the merman’s tail. He flinched when Sora’s hands touched his tail and started to thrash once more

“Please, calm down!” Sora pleaded, struggling to grasp his hands around the wet net. When he finally got hold of it, the merman’s actions started to cease, watching Sora carefully as he untangled the net.

The brunette gave the merman a small smile as he finished undoing it, “There we go!” He stepped back from the merman, mesmerized by the way sunlight bounced off of the glassy scales.

“Hey, wait—!”

And then, with a quick splash, he was out of sight.


	3. Drifting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sora goes searching for the mysterious merman.

Destiny Islands was quiet as Sora stood on the shoreline for the fifth time that week, staring off into the waves. The scent of the sea tickled his nose as it wafted through the air, whilst the sun was rising with a hazy orange glow. Sitting down in the sand Sora dug his notebook out of his bag, his pencil scratching away at the pages as he noted another day of aimless waiting.

_ Day 5 _

_ Hi! It’s been six days since I saw the merman and I kind of feel like he’s not coming back anytime soon? I don’t know, I feel like I should just give up but… _

Sora’s hand stilled as he sighed, eyes flicking between the notebook and the waves. The idea of giving up felt wrong in his gut but what could he do? He couldn’t keep waking up this early only to see the same rotting boats and driftwood littering the sand every day.

‘Wait, boats?’

His head snapped up, realization hitting him.

‘He saved me from a boat, right? Maybe I can go look for him myself!’ he thought to himself, abruptly standing up and starting to quickly pack his things. He cast one look over his shoulder towards the sea,

“I hope I can see you again,” he whispered to himself with a small smile. 

For the next couple days, Sora woke up every morning to try to fix one of the old, wooden boats that had been left where he found the mysterious merman. The one he chose definitely had some age on it but at least it wasn’t dotted with holes or had a broken hull. The oars that were underneath the seats were terrible and broken but Sora figured ‘borrowing’ a couple of oars from another boat would be just fine.

After tossing his bag into it, he started to push the boat into the water, wincing once it was fully off of the sand. His breath hitched in his throat, as he opened his eyes timidly, praying that it would work.

When he opened his eyes, Sora puffed out his chest as he grinned excitedly, his determination spiking he watched the boat float successfully. Climbing into the boat he started to row away from the shore, watching as the islands grew smaller and smaller. He cruised a little ways past the reef, shielding his eyes with his arm as the sun beat down on him. He chuckled as he avoided the sun's rays, peering into the clear, blue water, to watch colorful swarms of fish dart through the reef.

Once he was a good distance from the island he cupped his hands around his mouth he started to shout, “Hello! Anyone down there?”

“Hello!” he called out again, “Mr. Merman!”

His shoulders slumped at the lack of a response, a dejected sigh leaving him. He leaned forward so that his arms rested on the edge of the boat, lips forming a disappointed pout. He blankly stared into the water, his dispirited face reflecting back at him. With a heavy sigh, he sat up, ready to row back to shore before a glimpse of silver swimming underneath the boat caught his eye. He immediately leaned over the edge to try and get a closer look, but his sudden movement rocked the boat and him off balance. He yelped as the shift in his weight caused the boat to flip over, hands reaching forward in a pointless attempt to catch himself as he tumbled into the water.

He winced at the rush of cold water against his skin, his hair matting against his face and over his eyes as bubbles flooded around him. He shook his head in the water, wincing as the saltwater stung his eyes. As he fought to keep his eyes open his vision began to clear, revealing that the blur of silver had been nothing more than a small school of silver fish swimming towards the reef. More fish rushed past him, a smile rising to his face as they swam by.

The realization hit him as he saw the oars from his boat and his bag slowly sinking to the ocean floor, eyes widening as he tried to kick his feet and swim towards the bag.

‘The journal!’ he thought worriedly, his chest tightening dangerously as he tried to reach for it. The air strained against his lung as he neared the bag, stretching his arm out to latch onto one of the straps.

He heard the sound of water sloshing behind him and something wrap around his waist and whisk the bag out of his reach. He gasped at the sudden sensation, something smooth wrapping around his torso as it pulled him up to the surface. Sora’s head broke through the water, air filling his lungs as he took in desperate gasps of oxygen. As his breathing started to return to normal he glanced behind himself, eyes widening in awe when he saw turquoise eyes staring back at him.

“It’s you!” he exclaimed in amazement, the merman’s indigo tail flicking below them to keep Sora upright. The strap of Sora’s bag dangled from the merman’s sharp teeth, while his arms were still wrapped tightly around Sora’s waist. The merman let out a noise between a click and a growl, lifting Sora up and roughly dropping him along with his bag back into the boat.

The brunette pouted as he sat up from the hardwood, rubbing his back. “Hey, that hurt!” he whined, glancing down at the merman. The latter clicked his tongue and started to push the boat back to shore, ignoring Sora entirely. The brunette raised an eyebrow at the merman’s behavior, casting curious glances his way as his head swam with questions.

“Hey, what’s your name?” he asked, hoping to start some kind of conversation with the merman.

No response.

“Umm.. Where’d you come from?”

Still no response.

“I guess you aren’t much of a talker…” Sora continued to himself, staring down at the bottom of the boat gloomily. Though he sulked he couldn’t stop his eyes from trailing over to watch the merman swim, finally getting a proper look at him.

The sun glinted off of his tail as it swept against the current, indigo scales shimmering like iridescent glass in the light. The muscles on the merman’s back flexed as he pushed the boat through the water, arms outstretched in front of him. 

A throaty growl rumbled out of the merman’s throat as they approached the shore, his head lifted from the water to look up at Sora. His face flushed pink at being discovered, tearing his gaze away from the merman and onto the moldy wooden planks. Long silver hair matted against his face with sea-green eyes locked on Sora cautiously, raising an eyebrow at his sudden bashfulness. He pushed the boat further out of the water and into the sand, watching as Sora shuffled out of the boat, his cheeks still tinged a light pink. The merman started to turn away until Sora called out to him again, 

“W-wait!” the merman’s gaze snapped back to him, “Can I… see you again?” he asked shyly, offering a nervous smile.

The merman let out another clicking noise in recognition before swimming off once more. 

***

Riku flicked his tail back and forth as he weaved through the water, the glimmering city growing larger as he grew closer. Sæder was located deep underwater, past the dense kelp forests and the never-ending trenches that lined the seafloor. The undersea city was filled with life, ranging from the merpeople who lived in their dwellings or the sea creatures that would swim through occasionally. 

Making his way through the front gates of the palace, Riku narrowed his eyes at the slacking guards who were more interested in gossiping rather than keeping watch. As they noticed his presence they immediately stiffened, bowing their heads in acknowledgment. He growled lowly before nodding his head in return, swimming past them.

‘That human…’ Riku thought to himself as he swam through the corridors of the castle, so caught up in his train of thought that he didn’t notice the palace maids and workers greeting him as he passed. 

“Riku, you’re back!” a soft voice called out from behind him, breaking through his thoughts. A blond mermaid with a light greyish-blue tail with tapered ends swam beside him, her eyes filled with concern, “Where have you been? You’re normally not this late…”

He slowed his pace to a stop, “I’m fine, Namine. Just got a bit caught up today.” he said, giving her a reassuring smile.

She breathed out a sigh of relief, “Thank Goddess…” she closed her eyes thoughtfully, clasping her hands around the pendant that sat on her neck. “I was worried that you had been caught by the sailors for good this time.”

Riku grimaced at the reminder, the thought of thrashing around in the water and almost getting hauled onto a boat angering him. Human sailors were despicable people who drove their kind to retreat and remain in their underwater cities rather than swimming freely in the sun-warmed tides above.

He didn’t realize his hand had clenched into a tight fist until Namine moved in front of him, resting her hand on his, “Riku, we’ll be able to roam freely again one day… I’m sure of it. It will just take some time.” she mused as she glanced longingly up towards the surface.

“I know it just—” he cut himself off, relaxing his fists. He calmed himself down before he could outburst, biting his lip to stop the spew of words from coming out. He sighed, “Thanks Namine.”

“You’re welcome, Riku.” she replied with a warm smile, “Oh, and I almost forgot, they requested you in the throne room for your report. Make sure to check in with me before you leave tomorrow, okay?”

“Got it, thanks,” he affirmed, giving her a small grin of his own before swimming down the corridor in the opposite direction, away from his room and towards the large open-water throne room.

Light flooded his senses as he swam through the opening, rays bouncing off of the opalescent pillars that lined the walls and the majestic throne in the center. A beautiful blue-haired mermaid sat on the throne, a flowy dark blue tail with tips trailing like ribbons in the water beneath her. A pleasant smile decorated her face, a picturesque image of serenity as she spoke to the merman floating beside her. The merman was a tall brunette with an orange-brown tail beneath his scar-lined torso, the tattered fins serving as a reminder of despicable humans.

He swam in front of the mermaid, crossing his arm over his chest and bowing his head in respect, “Your Highness.”

“Riku,” she acknowledged with a nod of her head, “I trust that you didn’t encounter any issues with your patrol this morning?”

“No issues, your highness.” he replied, straightening back up from his bow, “It was nearly empty, no sailors today.”

The brunette raised an eyebrow at his response, suspicion lacing his tone, “Nearly empty?”

“I...” Riku trailed off, as the memory of the curious human flashed through his mind. His kind smile, how he had saved Riku that day. He paused for a moment, pushing the thoughts out of his head and pursed his lips into a frown, “My apologies, I misspoke. I meant there was no sighting of hunters today.”

It wasn’t like he was lying. He’d never seen that human out on a large boat that hunters would usually use and the boy didn’t seem like a threat. 

The merman eyed him coldly, not buying his ‘slip-up’. As he opened his mouth to speak Aqua cut in, “Thank you, Riku. You are dismissed.” she said with a caring smile, “Please make sure to rest up before your patrol tomorrow.”

Riku bowed his head once more, “Thank you, your highness.”

Without another word he swam out of the throne room, the tightening feeling in his chest lingering as he swam towards his room. He let out a deep breath that had caught in his throat when Terra started to question him, memories of the human swarming his thoughts again.


End file.
